ARMENIAN ANTI-TRUST WATCHDOG WARNS 80 COMPANIES OVER UNFAIR COMPETITION IN USING “ECO” OR “BIO”
YEREVAN, November 21. /ARKA/. Armenia’s State Commission for Protection
of Economic Competition has issued severe warnings to 80 companies for
unfair competition in using “eco” and “bio” labeling, the regulator’s
press office reported on Thursday.
The watchdog carried out large-scale studies and revealed violations
by companies producing foodstuffs and nonfoods and labeling them as
“organic” or “biological”, according to the report.
The study covered some 100 companies using “organic”, “ecological”
or “biological” labels or the respective abbreviations. The study
found out this labeling is often misleading and creates an impression
about certain advantages of products with such labels over the others,
says the report.
According to the law, as from January 1 2014, these labels can be used
only by economic entities manufacturing or selling organic agricultural
products. Otherwise, the use of these terms is inadmissible.
A total of 80 companies are found to have violated these requirements,
with 55 of them using “eco”, 20 companies suing “bio” and 5 others
using “organic”, the regulator says.
The companies are instructed to correct all violations. The watchdog
also says it will continue strict control over the situation. The
full list of these companies will be posted on the regulator’s website.
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